Gold From the Fields: Making Homemade Cultured Butter

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I now feel like I understand the sentiment behind names for dairy companies like "Darigold", "Meadow Gold", and "Pot O Gold". Fresh, homemade butter is like beautiful golden nuggets of goodness from the fields. My childhood friend and neighbor sent me this cultured butter recipe from the Seattle Times, and my love of butter compelled me to give it a whirl. The thing I like the most about this recipe is that an expensive (albeit much desired) butter churn is not required. You can use your stand mixer, electric hand mixer, or for the stout-hearted, an old fashioned hand powered mixer. I've heard you can also put it in a quart mason jar with a lid and have your kids shake it for a really long time. It keeps them out of trouble.

I started out with some raw cream from a local dairy and some buttermilk that I had made from raw milk. The buttermilk is made by simply adding cultured buttermilk to raw (or not raw) milk, gently heating to 70 degrees, adding a pinch of salt, and letting it sit covered in a warm place all day. Cultured buttermilk from the store would also do the trick, and I'm sure cream from the store would work just as well too, you would just lose out on some good healthy enzymes in the raw dairy.

Then I put it in the stand mixer and whipped it until it turned into golden globules of butter. I have to warn you that once it separates, it splashes everywhere! I covered the whole stand mixer with a dishtowel towards the end of the mixing.

Then I poured off the buttermilk to save for cooking and put the butter in a bowl. I prepared an ice water bath and added a half cup at a time to the butter, "kneading" it in the ice water with a fork against the sides of the bowl and then pouring off the liquid. I did this about 5 times until the water came off clear.

Then I added a little salt, tasted my delicious butter, and put it in a mason jar in the fridge. The only thing better than butter, I have decided, is homemade cultured butter.

The Recipe :

4 cups organic raw heavy cream
1/3 cup plain yoghurt or buttermilk
4 cups water
1 cup ice cubes
salt to taste (optional)

1. In a clean glass bowl, combine cream and yoghurt or buttermilk, cover loosely with a cloth and let sit at room temperature for 12-36 hours
2. Make sure cream is 60 degrees (chill if room temperature is too high), and using electric hand mixer or stand mixer, and blend beyond stiff peak stage until globules of yellow butterfat form. Pour off the liquid and save, this is buttermilk!
3. Put water and ice cubes into a bowl. Pour a half cup of ice water over the butter and "knead" with a fork against the side of the bowl. Pour off the liquid and repeat until it pours off clear (about 6 times). Then add salt if you wish.
4. Pack the butter into jars or wrap in wax paper and freeze any you won't be using within a week.